A new trend has exploded on TikTok, with users showing off their older pets in clips and calling them “fossil dogs” as a way to cope with the deaths of their beloved pets.
The hashtag has racked up millions of views on the video-sharing platform as users marvel at their ancient dogs, some of whom appear to be clinging to life.
Many of the pets featured in the videos have cloudy eyes from cataracts, stiff bodies from arthritis, and lackluster coats, but they are undeniably loved.
“I come home from college and see my 19 year old blind, deaf, toothless dog with dementia who never knows where he is,” one user captioned a video of her graying dachshund.
Another clip featuring a small black dog with a severe underbite was captioned: “I come home and see my 16 year old fossil dog has lost three more teeth.”
“When I come home from college and see my 19 year old blind, deaf, toothless dog with dementia who never knows where he is,” one user captioned a video of her graying dachshund
Another clip showing a small black dog with a severe underbite was captioned: “I get home and see my 16 year old fossil dog has lost three more teeth.”
Another student shared on TikTok that she “came home after college to my 15-year-old fossil dog who is deaf and suffers from dementia.”
Of course, saying goodbye is inevitable, and for some pet owners, trends like the “fossil dog” phenomenon can provide relief.
One user’s video of her 16-year-old dog, Brutus, had nearly 4 million views at the time of writing.
“Brutus is a paid actor,” the user joked, noting that the dog she grew up with was blind, deaf and “went into kidney failure.”
And while commenters showered the adorable pooch with praise, calling him a “baby,” the creator seemed well aware of the reality.
“Don’t worry guys, he will get comfort care and lots of meds until it’s his time,” she wrote.
Another user shared a clip of her boyfriend’s parents’ “fossil dog.”
Some owners of older pets have noted that their dogs ‘just don’t die’
The fascination with long-lived dogs is nothing new. The Guinness Book of World Records even has an entry for the world’s oldest dog.
That title was last held by Bobi, a 31-year-old Rafeiro do Alentejo from Portugal.
According to Leonel Costa, who has lived with Bobi since he was eight, the sheepdog was born in 1992.
But Costa’s father decided they already had too many animals in the house and had the nest destroyed.
A few days later, Costa and his brothers were shocked to find Bobi alive, hidden in a pile of logs. They hid the puppy from their parents until it was too old to be put down.
Costa attributed Bobi’s longevity to the “calm, peaceful environment” he lived in, according to a Guinness press release. He was never chained or leashed and ate only human food.
His 31st birthday in May was attended by more than 100 people and a performing dance troupe.
“Bobi is special because looking at him is like remembering the people who were part of our family and unfortunately are no longer here, like my father, my brother or my grandparents who have already left this world,” Costa said at the time.
Bobi died in October 2023, after a record 31 years and 165 days. However, the Guinness Book of World Records later revoked the title after they could find “no conclusive evidence that can definitively prove Bobi’s date of birth.”
Once upon a time, the world’s oldest dog, Bobi, who lived to be 31 years old, died in October 2023. However, his official world record was later revoked after Guinness could find ‘no conclusive evidence that can definitively prove Bobi’s date of birth’.
“Despite outliving every dog in history, his 11,478 days on earth would never be enough for those who loved him,” veterinarian Karen Becker wrote on Facebook to announce his death at the time.
“Despite having outlived every dog in history, his 11,478 days on earth would never be enough for those who loved him,” veterinarian Karen Becker wrote on Facebook at the time to announce his death.
The oldest living dog is Spike, a 23-year-old Chihuahua mix from Ohio. His age was certified by Guinness at the end of January, just before Bobi took the title.
Just like Bobi, Spike has a great life story. His owner Rita Kimball found him in 2009 after he was abandoned in a supermarket parking lot.
“He was shaved down to his back, had bloodstains around his neck from a chain or rope and looked quite rough,” Kimball told Guinness.
When Kimball learned that the dog had been there for several days, he took Spike, who was already 10 years old at the time, to her farm.
“Spike jumped right in and sat on the chair, like he knew where we were going. It was meant to be,” Kimball said.
She explained that she named him Spike because of his attitude, which reflects “that of a big dog.”
Despite weighing just under 30 pounds, the tenacious Chihuahua mix has “survived multiple attacks” from other animals and “come back stronger each time.”
Now Spike, who is almost blind and partially deaf, lives out his golden days together with other animals on the farm.
Before Bobi broke the record, there was Bluey, a 29-year-old Australian cattle dog who lived from 1910 to 1939.
Bluey, a 29-year-old Australian cattle dog who lived from 1910 to 1939, was the previous record holder before Bobbi, a distinction she held for 83 years.
Bluey was honored with a mural in her hometown of Rochester, Victoria
She held the record for the longest-lived dog for 83 years and is honored with a mural in her hometown of Rochester, Victoria.
What makes the record so impressive, of course, is the fact that most dogs do not live beyond their twentieth birthday.
You may have heard that smaller dogs generally live longer. This claim is generally supported by data.
Toy-sized breeds such as Chihuahuas, Yorkies and Maltese typically live between 14 and 16 years.
This figure only decreases with size. Medium-sized dogs such as retrievers typically live 10 to 12 years, while large breeds such as Great Danes and Saint Bernards usually only live seven to 10 years.
Although this trend is not fully understood by scientists, a 2023 study published in the American Naturalist found that larger breeds may be prone to cancer due to selective breeding practices.
“The relationship between lifespan and body size in a dog breed may be the result of the evolution of greater defense against cancer lagging behind the rapid increase in body size during the recent establishment of the breed,” researchers wrote.
According to the American Veterinary Society, almost half of older dogs over the age of 10 will develop cancer.
Dogs develop cancer at about the same rate as humans, and this is only made worse by inbreeding.
A 2021 study published in Canine Medicine and Genetics found that the majority of dog breeds are highly inbred, leading to health complications.
“Although previous studies have shown that small dogs live longer than large dogs, no one had previously reported on the morbidity,” said veterinary geneticist Danika Bannasch in a news release from the University of California, Davis, whose researchers led the study.
‘This study showed that dogs that are smaller and not inbred are much healthier than larger dogs with high inbreeding.’
The average inbreeding rate, based on a genetic analysis of 227 breeds, was almost 25 percent – the equivalent of sharing the same genetic material with a full brother or sister.
By comparison, the high level of inbreeding in humans is between three and six percent. This has been associated with an increased prevalence of genetic conditions such as hearing loss and limb deformities.
Other factors that research suggests can influence lifespan include gender (female dogs tend to live longer than males) and snout size.
Owners should also ensure that their dogs receive basic vaccinations, such as rabies and distemper virus.
Vaccines for other diseases such as leptospirosis and Bordetella are something to consider depending on a dog’s lifestyle and the amount of time he spends around other animals.
Other steps you can take include regular dental checkups, as poor oral health can cause or be caused by other health problems.
And since obesity can shorten a dog’s lifespan by more than two years, it’s important to keep him healthy and ensure he gets enough exercise.